Spices and Trials
by NeverMore34
Summary: Saffron Masala now on the doorstep to inherit her father's restaurant, but she has to go through Totsuki to do it. And now, she meets friends, allies, and enemies. Join her on this culinary journey. There will be vore scenes, so I will warn you when those appear. And because of this, it will be rated MA.
1. A White Trial

Spices & Trials.

A White Trial.

The egg: an ingredient in which its vast versatility is only outdone by butter, utilized in a great many dishes with various ways to prepare it from the traditional Western breakfast to no shortage of pastries in which an egg is essential for the height of its success. However, while the egg is incredibly versatile, the use of an egg can either become the saving grace of a dish or the device of its untimely demise. Given such a reputation, the egg is simultaneously revered and hailed between people in the culinary world, for it acts somewhat as a double-edged sword; any chef capable of integrating the egg into a dish seamlessly is worthy of the praise they receive.

Which is why when esteemed Erina Nakiri disregarded the normal entry rules in lieu of a test to see how these would-be budding chefs would fair with an egg, Saffron was surprised at how efficiently she was able to hide her anxiety. Aside from one other fellow try-out, she was the only one amongst the ranks to not hail from an affluent family steeped in the traditions of the culinary arts. And many of these heirs/heiresses fled the scene the moment they realized that their dish would be tasted by the feared God Tongue.

"It's an intimidation tactic." Announced one of the other few Ponies in the room, the only one beside herself to still stand before this terrifying young woman. He was a cobalt blue Pegasus with an expensive looking camera hanging around his neck. "And a lazy one at that." He sighed, shaking his head.

Saffron nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. She had never heard of this Erina Nakiri, or the Nakiri family in general, before stepping into this room, but even she could see that the influence they had over the chefs' world is equivalent to the nobility in some cases. It was also abundantly clear she was using her name and prestige to scare the contestants off.

"It's a dirty thing to do." She seethed, even if she couldn't deny that the tactic was beginning to work its magic on her. She knew that most of the would-be students were only hubris students who had been called out on their insurmountable bluff, that didn't change that many of those who seemed to possess a semblance of humility fled the scene as if this honey blonde was the embodiment of the hottest fire on the face of the Earth.

She couldn't afford to run, however, as the redhead, who she learned hailed from a family diner when she met him outside the entrance exam building, stayed his ground. Whether it was out of thick skin or just blissful ignorance was a question for another day, it didn't change the fact that it was inspiring her to do the very same.

It didn't seem to matter, however, as Erina, swallowed by her own severe lack of humility, omitted their existence, and proceeded to tease her secretary with the promise of a delectable dish. In all honesty, watching the scene play out before her was making her uncomfortable, seeing how this human was so easily capable of manipulating someone else's feelings with no regard to the person, only their own desires.

"Excuse me, are there any other restrictions?"

Luckily for the Unicorn, she wouldn't be burdened with breaking the ice as the redhead had done it for her, his face a blank stare in the face of condescending glares from the two girls. There eyes darted between the three remaining contestants, a growing disbelief in the both of them that these three would dare to stand in the face of what was basically glorified affluence.

Erina wouldn't be caught dead wearing such an expression for more than 5 seconds and regained her composure, closing her eyes and flicking her hair. "No they are not. But are you sure-"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, the only human contestant approaching her and placing a relieved hand on her shoulder. "Thank goodness, I thought you were going to fail me without even trying." As he said this, Saffron was having trouble discerning whether or not he was sincere or sarcastic… probably the former.

But apparently touching this wannabe princess on the shoulder is impermissible, or as her secretary would have you believe as she quickly put herself between the two: a defiant "How dare you!" Complimenting her actions. She then motioned, rather violently, to her boss. "Do you have any idea who she is?" She asked as if this person was the next Messiah.

The boy's expression was no different than Saffron or the Pegasus: completely baffled.

"No." The redhead replied, quickly following it up with a brilliant: "Should I know?" Which only seemed to make the dark pinkette scowl in anger.

"She is Erina-!"

"Erina Nakiri, granddaughter of Senzaemon Nakiri and owner of the esteemed God Tongue: did I get everything right?" The Pegasus interjected, cutting her off with a clear sarcastic tone to it. His intention was clear; to agitate these people who were clearly so above them. And Saffron would be a liar if she said it wasn't well deserved.

The secretary looked ready to blow with all the ferocity of a nuclear bomb, and then some, when her oh-so important princess stopped her. "Would I be wrong in assuming you want two want to try as well?" She asked the first sensible question since they've met.

Saffron nodded. "Yes ma'am, if it isn't too much trouble." She was hoping that her natural kindness imparted to her by her mother was enough to ensure herself, if not everyone else, wouldn't be jettisoned out of a chance just by existing.

Her efforts were not in vain, Erina nodding. "Very well, follow me." She turned heel and made her way to the kitchen in which they would cook. Her secretary followed suit, but not before giving them dirty looks.

With the coast semi-clear, the Unicorn approached the two boys with ginger, yet firm, grips on their shoulders. "You might not want to tick her off, she looks like she has a lot of power." She warned, earning nods before the trio of students followed this Erina Nakiri.

(In the kitchen)

Saffron promised herself to not fangirl over anything in the school less it tarnishes any sort of reputation she tried to build up, she learned a long time ago that expressing any sort of excitement around the upper-class was childish. All her resolve was promptly erased and forgotten about as she laid eyes on the kitchen in which her entrance exams would take place, the place larger than her entire first floor.

"Whoa! So huge!"

She wasn't the only awe-stricken soon-to-be student as the redhead joined her in her enthusiasm, marveling at the many well-kept knives. Guess it pays to be an esteemed academy.

"Ahem." Erina cleared her throat, cutting them off. "Now before you begin, I must reiterate the rules: you have 2 hours to prepare a dish that contains an egg as an essential ingredient, you are free to make whatever you want." She elaborated on the rules she declared earlier. "Any questions?"

The Pegasus raised his hand, earning their attention. "Are pastries allowed?" Hearing him ask that question made Saffron think as while she hadn't thought of making a pastry, it was a valid inquiry.

It seemed Erina had not thought about it until that moment, confirming his question with a nod. "Pastries are well within the rules." She assured.

With the rules affirmed and the stage set, Saffron, the Pegasus, and the redhead all set out to different stations to begin their cooking. While it seemed her fellow contestants already formed an idea of what sort of dish they intended to craft, she was left for blank as she pondered on what she could do. Even if she hailed from Middle Eastern Equestria, she knew a great deal of other cuisines and thought it'd be paramount to branch out and experiment while also staying true to her roots. After a good 5 minutes contemplating her choices, she knew what she was going to create.

With a clear contingency plan in mind, she made her way to the bathroom, retrieving all the ingredients she would need for what she had planned. Tuna, cheese, egg, lettuce, carrots, bread flour, dry years, kosher salt, milk, water, melted butter, and olive oil along with an assortment of teaspoons and other useful utensils. Of course, so many ingredients would be quite troublesome to carry around by hand, and to minimize the amount of time she would spend in the ingredient retrieval stage.

After appropriately placing the ingredients on her workstation: the determined Unicorn got started. First, she put milk and butter in pots on the oven, taking extra precaution to ensure they won't burn while mixing the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt with her hands in the preliminary stages of preparing the dough. She has always found it exceedingly easy to use one's own hands when preparing dough until the melted butter and hot milk were added, at which point she would use a spoon.

With her hands full, she subconsciously used her magic to add the butter and milk, removing her hands and making use of a wooden spoon beside her. Sweat of determination beat down her brow as she focused intently on what she was doing.

"Excuse me, but are you using magic?" Erina questioned, approaching the Unicorn with a curious gander, pointing to the horn which was enveloped in the same dark purple aura the pot and pan was.

Saffron, not taking her eyes off her preparation for a minute, nodded. "The letter I got said magic was allowed as long as if I didn't use it to manipulate the taste of the food." To prove that she was truthful, she handed the honey-blonde the letter in which it said basic use of magic was permissible under certain circumstances.

With the letter in hand, Erina read it over carefully multiple times, affirming that she hadn't glossed over any crucial details. "I apologize for my skepticism." She handed the letter over.

Saffron, even if she wasn't looking at the smaller chef-to-be, smiled. "It's all cool." She replied, tucking the letter in her pocket. She was happy that the young woman apologized, even if it was understandable and she wasn't offended.

The lavender-eyed student nodded, returning to her secretary allowing Saffron to be drowned in her work, at which point she began to knead the dough on a lightly floured cutting board with her hands once more. 10 minutes later, she would brush a bowl with olive oil before placing her ready to bake dough in with a tea towel on top, putting it in the oven with the appropriate heat.

With the dough in the oven, she turned her attention to the tuna, eggs, lettuce, and cheese, dicing the vegetables, tuna, and cheese up into fine little pieces while cracking the eggs. She whisked the eggs, using her magic to supply two new pans with olive oil before placing the eggs in one pan and the tuna and carrots in the other. She would not add the cheese and lettuce until the final stage of her plan.

With the dough in the oven, the eggs, tuna, and carrots cooking on the stove, it was safe to say that Saffron was swamped. And while she was beginning to doubt the success of her plan, she shook that doubt out as she was too far in to backdown now. Plus, a plan B would be far too late for anything exceptional to come of it. Time wasn't exactly on her side.

Once the eggs, tuna, and carrots were thoroughly cooked and the dough had risen accordingly, she proceeded to punch a hole through the baked dough and kneaded it for two extra minutes on the same lightly floured cutting board. She would then cautiously proportion the ingredients into small dough rolls and fry them in a pan with oil, each for two minutes. 20 minutes later and her dish was finished: ready to be served to Erina.

"Tuna Egg Rolls." She announced with pride, searching the rest of the kitchen seeing that she was the only one left. She concluded that the others must have finished their business before she did and elected to see if they passed or not later on.

Erina was overcome with a skeptic look, analyzing the food given to her by everything accept taste; and she couldn't lie, the smell was enticing. With nothing to lose, she plucked one from the pile and took a bite.

Almost immediately, her mouth was flooded with a rush of delectable taste and impeccable textures, the various ingredients that at face value didn't seem to mesh well – especially the tuna and cheese – worked perfectly with each other. The experience was so mesmerizing that her face broke out into a goofy smile.

"It's delicious: I can't really say anything else about it. The dough was prepared perfectly, the proportions of the vegetables and tuna was perfect, and you've integrated the cheese as a melding piece." She praised. "And the egg wasn't neglected: scrambled was the perfect way to go for this dish and with the light horseradish and allspice seasoning, the dish is complete." She said.

The secretary raised an eyebrow, her curiosity sufficiently tickled. "Is it really that good?" She asked, to which the final standing contestant could only shrug, motioning to the plate still with a lot of egg rolls on it. Plucking a roll from the pile, she followed her boss and…

The same reaction emerged from the secretary; the only difference was her grin as much goofier than Erina. "It's pure perfection." She praised.

Saffron need not ask another question for Erina had taken an acceptance paper, stamping her seal of approval. "You pass." She announced.

A sheer insurmountable joy overcame the Unicorn, the feeling enough to compel her to leap into the air and cheer until next dawn. But she could not, for early excitement could be a precursor to a sour future. So, it is with great restrain that she packed the remaining egg rolls and stuffed them into her backpack, leaving the academy.

As she made her way to her temporary living arrangements before the opening ceremony the next morning, she couldn't eradicate one final thought from her mind.

Totsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy: it was the first steppingstone towards her dream.


	2. Turkey and Beef Enchilada

Spices and Trials.

Turkey and Beef Enchilada.

Saffron woke up with a start, got in the shower, got dressed, got her stuff, and went outside to find the car ready to take her to Totsuki.

The ride was mostly silent until the driver spoke up, "Saffron, I know this may be a strange question, but what cup are you?" She asked.

Saffron shrugged, "I'm about HH-cup." She responded.

The driver nodded, "Double H cups, huh?" She questioned, "I have no idea what your parents fed you, but I wish I had some." She jokes, "You're a full 5 cups bigger than I was when I was your age." She added.

Saffron shook her head, "Well, I ate like any pony did. Had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a few snacks in between, and the occasional pony every now and then." She responds, "It's not all that luxurious to be as busty as I am, it makes it difficult to find anything that fits without cutting off your blood or makes you feel like you're wearing a paper bag." She replied, flinching at the memories of her ripping too many clothes and her shirts and pants falling down, "I had to borrow my mom's, and my dad's clothes, more times than I can count on my hands and feet." She finished.

The driver nodded, "I know what you mean, it took me a week to find a size that could fit me." She agreed, "I remember the embarrassment of having my clothes ripped." She grimaced, "I guess it's half my fault, trying to keep up with all the hot trends." She admitted.

Saffron chuckled, "Yeah, I don't really like following all the hot trends, mainly because I find them to be a waste of time and money." She admitted.

The driver chuckled, but the ride remained silent until they made it to Totsuki.

Saffron was about to get out the car when the driver tapped her shoulder.

Saffron looked at her driver, who, for the first time in the time she knew her, had her glasses down, revealing those piercing green eyes that matched her ginger orange hair, "Look kid, I have no doubt that you're a good chef, but I can't even begin to count how many times I had to drop students off home or wherever on the before the first week ends." She said, "Just do whatever it takes to survive." She pleaded.

Saffron nodded, "I don't think I caught your name." She brought up.

The driver nodded and smiled, "Kate Akira." She introduced.

Saffron smiled and shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, Kate." She said.

Kate smiled, "You too." She replied.

Saffron got out and closed the door as Kate drove off and turned to the entrance gate and sighed, "Time to get this done." She sighed and entered the campus entrance.

When Saffron entered the school yard, she was greeted by two familiar voices.

"Hey, Saffron!"

Saffron turned to the voices and was met with the sight of Connor and the red-haired boy.

"Connor! Red kid!" She greeted, bringing them both into the most embarrassing, smothering hug they ever experienced.

She soon let her go, "I didn't know you two passed." She started.

They both nodded, "Me too, Erina said my dish was disgusting, but I ended up getting an acceptance letter anyways." Red kid replied, showing them the acceptance letter.

Saffron took the letter and examined the hand writing, then examined hers and shook her head, "Erina didn't send this." She stated, "Whoever sent this must have power over Erina's decision if you got an acceptance letter when she said you failed." She theorized.

Red kid nodded and took the letter, "Let's go, we need to do the opening ceremonial speech." He said.

Saffron and Connor nodded and they made their way to the podium.

The director, Senzaemon Nakiri, gave a pretty inspiring/terrifying speech about how very little of the students here are going to make it to graduation.

After that, Soma gave his speech; "Ermm... I'm Sōma Yukihira. Truth be told, I didn't expect to be admitted in this academy, but I don't plan on losing to some bunch that has never stood in front of clients. I'll use all of you as stepping stones. Now that I'm here, I'll take the top." He declared before stepping off the podium and bowing, "I'll be looking forward to working with ya'll the next 3 years." He added before leaving, just before the crowd erupted.

Saffron turned to Connor, "It's your turn Connor." She said.

Connor sighed and walked to the podium. He tapped the mike three times before speaking, "Hello everyone, I am Connor. Truth be told, I don't want to be here, but my older sister is a pain in the ass and forced me to come." He started, "My real passion is photojournalism, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to let a bunch of rich, spoiled brats get the best of me." He added, "Now, I'm not saying we can't be friends, we can, as long as you can stay off your high horse and treat me with respect, then you won't hear me complain." He finished his speech and flew off the podium and stage, just before more trash were thrown at him.

Saffron flinched at the bad rep that the two boys gave themselves and cautiously stepped up to the podium, tapped the mike three times, and cleared her throat.

But before she could even start speaking, many wolf whistles fluttered the school yard.

"Wow, she's hot!"

"Look at those jugs!"

"I hope she dates me!"

*FEEDBACK*

The whole yard was quite the moment that feedback reached their ears and Saffron clearing her throat, "Good evening everyone, my name is Saffron Masala, I come from an Eastern Equestrian state, my dad owns a restaurant." She began, "Now, I don't like to stir unwanted drama or trouble, but if any of you have a problem with me, please walk it out with me instead of talking behind my back. I'd be more than thrilled to talk a problem out rather than have you talk about it behind my back." She added, stepping off the podium, "I'll be excited to work with you all these next 3 years." She said, walking off to the back of the stage.

The moment she left the stage, the crowd erupted, but not in rage like before, but in love and the possible chance at getting a date with a hot student.

At the back of the stage, Saffron was met with Soma, Connor, and Erina staring each other down. Erina flicks her hair and walks out the back stage, "You two don't have a snowball chance in hell of graduating this school, good day!" She said, leaving in anger.

Saffron approaches the two boys, "And what's her problem?" She asked.

Connor shrugged, "She and Soma had bit of an altercation at the transfer exam, that's why he thought he didn't pass, and me, she just doesn't like me for taking his side." He explained.

Saffron nodded, "Well, shouldn't we be going, our first class should be soon." She said.

Connor and Soma nodded, "Well, we got different classes, so see you later." Connor said, both him and Soma leaving Saffron alone.

Saffron got her bag and began her treck to her first class.

And the whole way there, the students made sure to make Saffron uncomfortable, she received perverted glances from the boys, and very hateful glances from the girls, it made her want to disappear, but she kept going.

She soon made it to her classroom and entered. The moment she walked in, all eyes were on her, from boys to girls, even the teacher couldn't stop staring at her.

The teacher clears her throat and begins reading the instructions, "Hello class, my name is Mr. Juan and today in class, you will be making any type of mexican dish of your choice, but it has to be unique in a sense." He started, "You will also be working in pairs today." He added, "You have 2 hours to prepare the meal." He announced, "Begin!" He shouted, beginning the class.

And the moment that announcement left his mouth, all the boys, except one, flocked to Saffron, hoping to be her partner.

Saffron maneuvered through the crowd of boys and toward the lone boy who didn't pay her much attention. He had dark skin, white long hair, and green eyes, "The name's Saffron Masala, want to be partners?" She asked.

The kid shrugged, "Akira Hayama." He introduced, "Why work with me instead of any of your fanboys?" He asked.

Saffron sent a side glance at the boys staring at her, "I'd rather not work with them." She replied, trying to ignore the stares.

Akira sighed and nodded, "Well, let's get started." He initiated.

Saffron nodded, "So, what dish do you want to make?" She asked.

Akira shrugged, "I was thinking about something like an enchilada." He replied.

Saffron shrugged, "Okay, got any ideas where you want this to go?" She asked.

Akira nodded, "I was thinking, instead of chicken, why don't we use turkey meat." He suggested.

Saffron nodded, "I was thinking we can use two different meats, maybe something like beef." She added.

Akira nodded, "C'mon, let's get the ingredients." He replied, making his way to the cabinet to retrieve some spices.

Saffron followed suit and got the turkey, beef, onions, lettuce, tomato, olives, and corn wrap from the refrigerator. Saffron also used her magic to gather the cooking spray, jalapeno, enchilada sauce, cheddar cheese, aluminum foil, and some cilantro.

Once the two teens made it to their station with the ingredients, Saffron preheated the oven to 150 degrees and turned to her partner, "So, how do you want to do this?" She asked.

Akira took a sharp knife and approached the turkey, beef, and spices, "I'll deal with the turkey and beef, think you can have the vegetables and pan ready for the enchiladas." He tasked.

Saffron nodded and turned to the rest of the ingredients. She wrapped the tortilla in aluminum foil and put it in the oven. She then proceeded to cut the jalapeno, onions, cilantro, tomato, and proceeded to shred the cheddar. Once that was done, she saute the onions. Once she was done with that, Saffron took a pan and sprayed it with cooking oil and held it over the stove until it was hot.

Saffron then proceeded to place the tender onions, jalapeno, and cilantro on the pan. Once she was done, she turned to Akira who had just finished seasoning and cooking the turkey and the beef.

Akira added the turkey and beef on the pan and Saffron added the chicken to the mix and they added a can of enchilada sauce and let it cook for 5 minutes.

After that, Saffron spread the tortilla bread on a cutting board and Akira spooned the chicken mixture in the middle, they wrapped it up, seams down in a 13x9 inch baking pan. Heated the last two enchilada sauce cans in a saucepan and poured it over the enchilada and topped it with cheese.

They then placed the enchilada in the oven and heated it to 350 for 10 minutes until the enchilada was hot and the cheese was melted. Saffron used her magic to take the enchilada out and Akira evenly sprinkled the tomatoes and olives on top.

Akira then serves the enchilada on a bed of lettuce and it was done.

Saffron nodded, "Everything ready?" She asked.

Akira nodded and picked the plate up, "C'mon, let's get this to the teacher." He urged, approaching their teacher who had just given the previous pair an E.

Mr. Juan looked at the enchilada with a curious expression, "Hmmm… this is a rather unique choice." He praised, "Well then, let's dig in." He added, cutting a piece of the enchilada off and eating it with a fork.

The moment Mr. Juan bit into the enchilada, his mouth was invaded by a great rush of juicy turkey and beefy taste. The beef and turkey was seasoned to perfection with chili, garlic, and onion powder and paprika. The vegetables were cut to perfection and the olives delivered a delicious saltiness while the cheese molded all the flavors together.

"This enchilada is perfect, everything from the meat seasoning to the way the vegetables are cut, there isn't a single flaw with this dish." He praised, "Akira Hayama, Saffron Masala, I give you two an A for this phenomenally perfect dish." He graded the dish, "You two are free to do as you wish before your next class." He added.

Saffron and Akira nodded and left out the classroom. Once outside, Saffron sighed in relief and stretched her arms, "Good grief, it feels so much better to be outta there." She revelled in the freedom she had.

Akira nodded, "That was pretty good, I never knew somebody who can shred cheddar from the block like that with a knife. He congratulated.

Saffron smiled, "I could say the same about you and those spices, chili, garlic, and onion powder aren't spices I'd think about using with turkey and beef." She replied.

Akira chuckled, "Well, I got another class to attend in a little bit." He says.

Saffron nodded and held out her hand, "I hope to work with you again." She hoped.

Akira shook her hand, "Me too." He agreed, before leaving.

Saffron laughed and sighed, looking at her school schedule and saw that her next class was in 30 minutes. With a spring in her step, she skedaddled on to her next class for the day.

http//recipe/chicken-enchiladas


	3. Chicken Nuggets Stuffed With Cheese

Spices and Trials.

Chicken Nuggets Stuffed with Cheese.

The school day ended and Saffron was ever so thankful for it. Not that she found her classes to be difficult, no, she actually liked it, it was actually one of her classes that one of her female students, Diana Fawna, told her that the Polar Star Dormitory challenge needed ingredients to make a dish that impresses Fumio Daimido so she can stay. It was because of Diana that Saffron was had just filled her bag up with some ingredients.

No, the reason she was happy that the day was over was because that meant no more lustful stares from boys and hateful glances from girls, it just made her first day very uncomfortable for her. So, a long walk to the Polar Star Dormitory while the sun set was greatly appreciated by the Unicorn.

She also found out that she was very hungry, so hungry, hungrier than she's been in a while. She had candy to help hold her hunger for awhile, but that option was quickly fading and she found herself practically begging for a meal.

Saffron was a bit surprised when she laid eyes on the dormitory she was supposed to stay at. Vines infested the place, crows were perched everywhere, the color was a dark brownish black and the balconies were long and wide; overall, the place looked like your stereotypical haunted house.

Even to somebody who's witnessed the sheer madness of Everfree Forest, Polar Star Dormitory still sent shivers down Saffron's spine. But she took a deep breath and entered the dorm.

And when she did, she was met with quite a sight; to her right was an impressive looking kitchen, on her left looked was a door, in front of her were two curved staircase that led to the same place, and even more stairwells, although those two led to two different places, the place oddly reminded her of her old home.

*BOOM*

*THUMP THUMP THUMP*

Those three simultaneous noises assaulted Saffron's ears, followed by an old sounding voice over the telephone.

"Heey, room 208, you went and modified the lounge into a smoke room again! Shall I make you into smoked chip?!!"

"Don't keep your gibier in your room, room 116! If you do it again, I'll skin your body!"

While all this shouting was occuring, Saffron was standing in the middle of all the chaos.

And after about a minute of silence, an old voice speaks behind Saffron, "So, you're one of the knew transfer students, eh?" She asked.

Saffron turned to the old lady and saw that warden was in her mid-late 50's, had spiky gray hair combed and held back with a red hairband. She had a yellow t-shirt that passed her knees and a brown apron.

Saffron nodded, "I heard that I needed to make a dish to enter into this dorm, is there any other restrictions?" She asked.

The warden shook her head, "All is fair game except the use of magic to enhance a dish's appeal in design or taste." She confirmed.

Saffron nodded, "Alright then, let's get started." She urged, turning around and walking to the kitchen.

The warden nodded and followed suit, and once they were in the kitchen, Saffron put her bag down and began to empty it of it's contents that she was going to use to cook; chicken, onion and garlic powder, jerk seasoning, cheese, flour, cornstarch, eggs, baking powder, salt, water, and vegetable oil.

She places vegetable oil in a big pot and turned on the stove low to allow the vegetable oil to heat up while she prepared the ingredients.

Saffron begins by cutting big chunks of the chicken and seasoning the chicken with the onion and garlic powder and jerk seasoning. Once she was done with that, she got two bowls, one where she mixed the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. The other, she mixed the water and oil with beaten eggs. She then mixes the wet ingredients into the dry ones and begin to mix it with a whisks it away until it was ready.

Saffron then shredded the cheese into small pieces before stuffing it into chicken chunks, before dipping that in the deep fry batter, and let the chicken chunks fry.

She then pulls out some water, pours it in the teapot and heats it up with peppermint tea bags in it.

It only took about a few minutes for the chicken to finish deep frying, and when it was done, Saffron placed them upon a napkin that rested on a plate and poured the fresh hot tea in a cup and served the meal to the warden.

The warden looks at the deep fried chicken and smiles, "This does look good." She admits, picking one of the chicken nuggets up with chopsticks and ate it. The moment her teeth sunk into the nugget, her eyes widened open in complete shock, "This chicken nugget is perfect, the seasoning and the cheese go well together, and being deep fried gives it a nice crunchiness that I didn't know I wanted." She praised, then taking a sip of the peppermint tea and taking a sigh of relief, "And the freshness of the peppermint tea complements the oiliness of the chicken, making it a treat to behold." She added.

After finishing the meal, the warden then gives Saffron a key with the kanji of the number 209 on it, "You passed, you're free to do whatever you want with the rest of your day." She said.

Saffron nodded, got her bag, and made her way to room 209. And on the way there, Saffron spotted the bathroom, and suddenly, the prospect of a bath made her a bit happier, and maybe afterwards, she can finally eat something.

So, Saffron went to her room, got undressed and got a towel on, and made her way back to the shower room and slid the door open, ready for a hot bath to soothe her worries. But what she got was the most awkward scene ever.

In front of her was a small petite young girl with blue hair and yellow eyes. The girl cleared her throat, "Excuse me, I'm almost done, you can bathe when I'm done." She said, trying to shoo Saffron away.

But unbeknownst to the girl, Saffron wasn't keen on going away, for she had found the perfect little meal to satisfy her hunger.

Saffron closed the sliding door and walked towards the large tub and let go of her towel, allowing it to fall down and reveal her bounties

Once she was in front of the tub, Saffron picked the girl up and brought her close, "I'm sorry, but I'm too hungry to let you go." She apologized, smiling hungrily at the girl.

To be continued….

http//recipe/batter-for-deep-frying-161589


	4. The Residents of Polar Star Dormitory

The girl stared in disbelief at Saffron who held the girl in between her chest.

"What's your name?" Saffron asked.

The girl was stunned by the question, but answered nonetheless, "T-t-tadokoro Megumi." She stuttered.

Saffron smiled and held the girl above her head, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to eat you." She apologizes.

Megumi, now aware of Saffron's plot, started to struggle, but it was clear that she doesn't even come close to the Unicorn's strength, "Please, I don't want to be eaten!" She pleaded.

Saffron licked her lips, "I know, that's why I'm doing it." She whispered, opening her mouth and stuffing Megumi's head inside of it, immediately silencing any screams the girl could muster.

Saffron slathered Megumi's face with saliva as she tasted the poor girl, moaning from the sensation she received.

After she got her fair share of taste, Saffron leaned her head back and took one swallow, bringing Megumi's head into her throat and her shoulder's into the Unicorn's mouth. At this point, Saffron let go of Megumi's arms and placed her hands on her hips.

Saffron continued to effortlessly devour the struggling meal, and it only took about 4 swallows for her to get to Megumi's bottom half. It was by this point that Megumi's strength was deteriorating, her wild struggling had come down to pitiful wiggling.

Saffron used her tongue to bring Megumi further into her hungry gullet. And in half a minute, Megumi's feet were the only thing that kept Megumi from entering Saffron's gut, but soon that would change as Saffron swallowed one last time, sending Megumi to rest in her stomach.

Once Megumi was inside, Saffron sighed contentedly, "I'm so sorry Megumi, but I hadn't eaten in hours." She apologized, "I'll be sure to let you out in a 30 minutes or so, just stop moving around in there or I might change my mind." She added, which had worked as Megumi had stopped struggling.

Saffron sighed again and turned on the shower and began to bathe.

(30 minutes later)

Saffron had finally gotten out of the shower, Megumi still awake in her stomach.

Saffron dried off before sitting on the toilet, "Well, like I promised, I'm going to let you out." Saffron spoke to Megumi.

She then began to hack and vomit as her stomach started to compress and push the girl into Saffron's sphincter, and up her esophagus, and soon through her mouth as Saffron dug in her mouth, grabbed Megumi by the face, and pulled her out and placed her on the floor.

Saffron stood up, "Sorry again." She apologizes again before leaving the bathroom and going to her room to get a fresh set of clothes.

It was another 30 minutes afterwards that she heard somebody speak on the speaking tubes, "Hello Saffron, please come to room 205, we're having a welcoming party." The voice said.

Saffron shook her head, "No thanks, I'm pretty beat." She declined.

As soon as those words left Saffron's mouth, one of the roofboards were moved to reveal a 17 year old boy with medium length brown hair and green eyes, "Oh come on, don't be like that." He greeted.

Saffron jumps at the sudden turn of events, "How did you do that?!" She asked.

The boy jumps down from the ceiling, "Live here long enough, and you'll know all the secrets." He answered, "Now c'mon, Soma and Connor are there too." He urges.

Saffron sighs and gets out of bed, "Alright, I'll be there." She accepted.

The burnette nods and leaves the room.

Saffron gets up and stretches before leaving the room and makes her way to room 205 and knocks on the door.

It takes a few seconds before someone answer the door, and it was a short kid with short rainy black hair, round glasses and wore a brown sweater with a white line in the middle and black sweatpants.

The kid squawked at the beautiful student that stood at his doorstep.

Finding his reaction to be a little cute, Saffron steps forward, "Mind letting me in, or do you have other plans?" She asked, moving in a little closer, making sure that her chest hovered just about a foot above the kid's face.

The kid jumps back and fixes his glasses, "The name's Zenji Marui." He introduces and opened the door, "Make yourself comfortable, Satoshi, Shoji, and Daigo are getting the food." He instructed.

Saffron nods and walks in and sees quite a few people, and immediately picked out Soma and Connor and sat next to them, "Connor and Soma, nice to see you." She greeted.

Connor and Soma nodded, "Same here." Connor agreed.

Soma then perked up, "I never told you my full name, have I?" He asked, Saffron shook her head 'no', Soma then clears his throat, "Yukihira Soma." He introduced.

Saffron smiled, "Saffron Masala." She replied.

It was then the two new girls came up and sat next to Saffron; one had long purple hair and orange eyes while the other had short orange hair and teal eyes.

"The name's Sakaki Ryoko." The violet-haired one introduced.

Then the orange-haired one spoke, "My name's Yoshino Yuki." She introduced.

And it was at that moment, that three other boys came in, all carrying some type of food. The one in the middle, who Saffron noted was the one who moved the roofboard and invited her to this welcoming party, held his hands out to both her and Soma, "Yukihira Soma, Saffron Masala, my name is Satoshi Isshiki, but you can call me Isshiki-Senpai." He introduced, "I welcome you to Polar Star Dormitory." He welcomed.

Saffron and Soma shook the man's hand, "Thanks." Saffron thanked.

After everyone got introduced, everyone started to mingle and have fun. Saffron was eating a slab of meat when Sakaki approached her with a big glass bottle, "Would you care for some juice?" She offered.

Saffron looked at the label hard, trying to read what it said, but she could not, "You sure this ain't alcohol or something?" Saffron asked.

Sakaki giggled and shook her head, "No, this is just rice juice." She assured.

Saffron shrugged and used her magic to get a cup and hold it under the bottle, "No harm in trying." She muttered.

Sakaki nodded and poured the juice inside the cup, once she was done, Saffron brought the cup to her lips and sipped. Her eyes widened open when she swallowed the juice, "Wow, that's good, the juice is sweet but the mellowness of it doesn't ruin the drink by any means." She marveled, "Who made this?" She asked the girl.

Sakaki smiled, "I made it myself, I've been experimenting with different rice taste and the like." She admitted.

Saffron smiled, "Well, it's one of the best beverages I've tasted in my life." She congratulated.

Sakaki nodded before putting the rice juice down, "So, mind telling me what you're profession is?" She asked.

Saffron cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'profession'?" She asked.

Sakaki chuckled, "I mean what field of cooking are you best in. My field is Koji and fermented ingredients." She explained.

Saffron nodded, "Well, my profession is mostly Eastern Equestrian cuisines." She replied, "If I had to think about an Earthly translation, I would say my cooking is more Mediterranean style cooking, with minimal meats, vegetables, and fruits." She explained.

Sakaki nodded, "I like fruits, my favorite has to be apples." She said.

Saffrons smiled and leaned back, allowing her legs to stretch, "I like apples too, but I'm more of a peach pony myself." She admitted, "Me and my dad used to make this peach apple crumble, and it was delicious, sometimes we'd add plain old vanilla ice cream on the side." She added.

Sakaki smiled, "Well, I hope one day I can taste it." She hoped, before joining her friends for more conversation.

Saffron sighed and surveyed her surroundings, and her eyes fell on Tadokoro Megumi who was sitting next to her.

Saffron sat up and tapped Megumi to get her attention, "Hey Megumi, I'm sorry about what happened." She apologized.

Megumi quickly shook her head and waved her hands, "It's all okay, I know you didn't mean any harm by it." She assured, "If it means anything, you could do it again if you have to do it again." She offered.

Saffron nodded, "I'll keep that in mind." She accepted the offer, "I have to say though, for my first human, you tasted pretty good. Better than most ponies I've tasted." She added, licking her lips remembering the taste the petite blue girl left.

Megumi chuckled awkwardly, "Thanks?" She thanked.

Saffron was about to reply when Yuki spoke up, "So Saffron, what cup are you?" She asked.

The moment that question dropped, everybody was quiet and awaited Saffron's answer.

Instead of Saffron answering, Sakaki responded to Yuki's dumb question by slapping her in the head, "Why would you ask such a question?!" She scolded.

Yuki rubbed the back of her head, "C'mon Ryoko, it's a normal question." She complained.

Ryoko was having none of it, "But she may be sensitive about that, you got to be more considerate about others' feelings." She scolded further.

Saffron, not wanting to keep watching Ryoko wallop Yuki, spoke up, "I'm okay with it, but are you sure you want to know?" Saffron asked.

Yuki eagerly nods, "Yes, yes, I would love to know." She assures.

Saffron smiles, "Well, I'm HH-cups." She announced, a bit too pridely.

Silence. Complete silence. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Everybody seized any movement they may have made or was making. And stared at Saffron in disbelief.

After an eternity, the silence was broken by a wail from Yuki.

"How can she be HH-cups and I'm not! It's not fair!" She cried comically, throwing the worst temper tantrum she ever had.

Saffron chuckled awkwardly, "I warned you." She says.

While Ryoko was tending to her friend, she replies, "I'm really indifferent to your cup size, but even I have to agree, HH-cups for a high school student seems too bizarre." She says.

Saffron shrugs, "Big cups for teens isn't uncommon in ponies, although everypony said I was gifted." She explains, "But there was one student who was a cup bigger than me." She admits.

Ryoko nods, "Wow, I can only imagine how awkward it was in class today." She says.

Saffron nods, "Class today was harrowing." She confirms, "And it's going to be like that for the next 3 years." She sighs, laying down on the floor, her head resting on her hand, one of her legs upward while the other was spread out, she adopted this pose as to not take up all the room space with her massive size.

Saffron looks on as her classmates continued to conversate and share stories and foot.

(30 minutes later)

The party never died down until all the patrons fell asleep, except for Saffron, Soma, and Satoshi, who were sitting in silence.

Saffron's stomach rumbled, "I ate so much and I'm still hungry." She mumbles unhappily.

Soma nods, "I feel you, all that delicious food makes me want to eat more." He agrees.

Satoshi nods before standing up, "Alright then, let me see what I can whip up in the kitchen real quick." He offers going to the kitchen.

While Satoshi was cooking, Soma stroke up conversation, "So, what made you come here?" He questions.

Saffron shrugs, "Nothing really, I was always interested in human culture, specifically Japanese, and I always liked to cook, so when Totsuki announced that it would be accepting races from Equestria this year, I saw it as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone." She explains.

The redhead nods, "So, you must be a good cook to be able to pass Fumio-san's test in one go." He acknowledges.

Saffron nods, "Living in a household where cooking is front and center could teach you how to cater to different taste." She explains.

Soma nods, "I hear you." He agrees, "But this three years sound like they could be tough." He admits.

Saffron scoffs, "Yeah, I know, especially with all the boys trying to get under my skirt." She cringes at the thought.

Soma laughs, "Are you sure the uniform will even fit?" He questions.

The Unicorn shrugs, "I mean, I'm sure it won't cover _everything_ but since it allows me to add on my own clothing, I think I can manage." She admits.

But before their conversation could carry on, Satoshi Isshiki returned with two plates, "Eat up and enjoy." He says.

Saffron, feeling particularly lazy, uses her magic to grasp the plate and bringing it to her face and takes a whiff of it and her eyes were peeled open, "Pepper Mackerel with a Puree." She says out loud.

Satoshi nods, "How'd you know?" He questions.

Saffron sits up completely, "My dad likes to make different recipes from around the world, and this one was one he enjoyed making a lot." She explains.

Satoshi smiles, "Well, why don't you try it?" He prompted.

Saffron and Soma nodded before they picked up a fork and plopped it in their mouths. And both of them were blown away.

"This is purely perfect, the fish is grilled to perfection, giving it a soft texture." Saffron compliments, "And the cabbage gives a break from the usually greasy fish and brings forth a crunch that holds everything together." She praises, "And the puree is just something on the side that completes the dish. It's like spring personified." She finishes.

Soma and Saffron looked Satoshi in the face, "He's leagues above everyone else." They thought in unison.

Satoshi smiles and removes the bandana on his head, "Allow me to re-introduce myself." He starts, "My name is Satoshi Isshiki, seventh seat of the Elite Ten." He re-introduces, "Now show me what kind of dish you bring to the table, Soma." He challenges before turning to Saffron, "And you're welcome to try as well." He offers.

Saffron shakes her head and stands up, "No thanks, I need to turn in before somebody ends up as body fat tomorrow." She declines, "But I'd be sure to make you something when I got the time." She assures, moving to the door.

Satoshi nods, "I'll be looking forward to that." He accepts.

Saffron nods, opening the door and leaving to her own room with a large smile on her face and a single thought fluttering through her mind: this school is gonna be fun.


End file.
